A public observatory in Los Angeles, Griffith Observatory has been featured in many movies, from 'Rebel Without a Cause' to 'La La Land'. Nestled on Mount Hollywood, Griffith Observatory boasts some of the best views of the city—the best time to visit is at sunset. Inside, the observatory offers quite the experience as well—it has a planetarium, various exhibits, free-to-use telescopes, and more. The best part? Admission is free and it’s easily accessible with plenty of parking. Make a day out of your visit at Griffith Park, where you’ll find hiking trails and horseback riding. – TripadvisorSee more..
Chabot Space & Science Center inspires and educates students of all ages about our Planet Earth and the Universe. Its historic telescopes and observatory, planetarium, hands-on interactive exhibits, and natural park setting are a place where students, teachers, and the public can imagine, understand, and learn to shape their future through science. Chabot's three large telescopes are open to the public on Friday and Saturday evenings.See more..
4.5Palomar Observatory(155 reviews) - Disappointed there was no handicapped access. Temporarily closed - Closed until further notice Spent 1-2 hours Observatories & Planetariums
Palomar Observatory, located atop Palomar Mountain in north San Diego County, California, is a center of astronomical research owned and operated by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Observatory is home to three active research telescopes: the 200-inch (5.1-meter) Hale Telescope, the 48-inch (1.2-meter) Samuel Oschin Telescope, and the 60-inch (1.5-meter) telescope. The research is conducted by Caltech faculty, post-doctoral fellows, and students, as well as by researchers at collaborating institutions. Conceived of almost a hundred years ago, Palomar Observatory has been at the forefront of astronomical research since mid-century. Today, the observatory operates every clear night and is an iconic facility for scientific advancement, instrument development, and student training. The Observatory is a popular destination in Southern California and receives tens of thousands of visitors a year from all over the world. Most come to see the famous 200-inch (5.1-meter) Hale Telescope-for decades the largest effective telescope in operation. Whether you are an astronomy, history, or engineering enthusiast, or simply curious about the Observatory, you will enjoy visiting our museum and taking one of our guided tours of the facility. All are welcome at the Palomar, but we ask that all visitors respect our rules and procedures. Public, guided tours of the 200-inch (5.1-meter) Hale Telescope are available to visitors on the weekends (Saturday and Sunday, start times are 11:00 am and 1:30 pm) spring through fall-typically from the first weekend in April to the last weekend October. The tours are roughly one hour long, and limited-availalbility tickets (sold exclusively on a day-of and first-come, first served basis) are required. Please plan accordingly.See more..
Historic observatory, with the second largest refractor telescope in the world. Open for tours.See more..
4.5Mount Wilson Observatory(70 reviews) - The focal point for our modern understanding of the universe Friday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Observatories & Planetariums
Located high above the Los Angeles basin, this observatory offers the best astronomical viewing in America.See more..
There aren't many solar observatories in So Cal. This one on the Lake is small, but really interesting. Find out in advance when their visitor hours are and definitely do the tour.See more..
5.0Community Observatory(15 reviews) - Fun family friendly thing to do at night Spent 1-2 hours Observatories & Planetariums
View Stars, Planets, Galaxies, Nebulae and even our own Sun through our telescopes. We have a 17" CDK Reflecting Telescope and a 4" APO Refracting telescope in the observatory for you to look through. While waiting your turn at the eyepiece you can view images on a monitor from our 14" SCT telescope outfitted with a special astronomy video camera that is many times more sensitive to light than your eyes. This allows you to see the beautiful colors of stellar nurseries, galaxies and more. We also have a 16" and 6" Dobsonian portable telescopes for you to use and learn about how to use a telescope. We also have an outdoor "Sky Theater" where docents give tours of the constellations outlining them with their laser pointers showing you what is up in the sky during your visit. On the first Saturday of each month we are open from 10am until noon showing you our Sun through our safe solar telescopes. We can show you the sunspots on the photosphere in "white light" and prominences, filaments, and flares in the chromasphere in Hydrogen Alpha light. Look for us on Facebook and YouTube.See more..
4.0Fremont Peak Observatory(8 reviews) - Astronomy Programs and Star Gazing - Fremont Peak Observatory Observatories & Planetariums
We went to Fremont Peak State Park on a day where the observatory was doing an afternoon program as well as an evening star gazing program (from 8 -12). The views of both the valley areas during the day as well as the stars at night are stunning. The staff is pleasant. People came for just the program. There is also camping at the state parks so several were there who were camping overnight at the park as well.See more..
4.5Fujitsu Planetarium(7 reviews) - Do you see stars? Friday: 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM Observatories & Planetariums
wonderful shows! weather you are alone or with a group, you will enjoy the show. both the musics and "skies" will amaze you and your friends.See more..
4.5Hat Creek Observatory(6 reviews) - Closed, for now due to Covid. Observatories & Planetariums
Really neat location and place. However, on their site it doesn't mention it's fully closed to the public due to Covid ( as of October 15, 2020). So, just to avoid the trouble maybe delay a visit until after the new year. You can view it from the Lassen NF and the Hat Creek valley viewing area.See more..
Located in Chico's famed Bidwell Park, the Chico Community Observatory provides the public with access to telescopes for up-close stargazing as well as an open-air amphitheater for more casual stargazing away from the light pollution of the city. The volunteer docents are knowledgeable and friendly. There are also special openings for big events, like lunar eclipses, comets, etc. Open Fri.-Sun., weather depending (will be closed if there's too much cloud cover), from sunset until park closing (see City of Chico website).See more..
The MSAS Astronomy Village Observatory & Science Center is located in the mountains near Lake Arrowhead, Calif. Our purpose is to utilize our research grade telescope & presentations to make Astronomy a life long learning experience for grades K-12 and a personal experience for the general public. Check out Star Gazer's Gift Shop and space exploration displays. Come "look up" with us!See more..
